Fixing misinformation requires changing revenue incentives, not just content exposure

Evidence

What we really need is to move slow and fix things – a radical rethinking of the incentive structure of social media. We don’t need to maximize engagement – perhaps we should maximize accuracy and constructive debate instead? What would such a social media landscape look like? At present, their revenue is heavily tied to ads, which require engagement. This brings us to our next issue. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 470

Categorization

• QUESTION: Design fiction worth chasing: what would a social network that maximizes accuracy instead of engagement actually look like and cost?
• XREF: connects to: Deliberate misinformation weaponized for profit or power can outcompete true news — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 218; Correcting misinformation may be ineffective because people continue using it — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 249; Fact-check warnings fail to stop repeated fake headlines gaining perceived truth — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 70 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Media profit incentives over truth drove audiences toward social media #corroborates (0.85) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 188
• Deliberate misinformation weaponized for profit or power can outcompete true news #corroborates (0.78) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 218
• Fact-check warnings fail to stop repeated fake headlines gaining perceived truth #qualifies (0.75) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 70
• Correcting misinformation may be ineffective because people continue using it #complicates (0.72) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 249
• Misinformation often wins because it is simpler and more repeated than truth #corroborates (0.72) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 87